Galaxy SIII vs Nexus 4: Verdict

These are the best two Android phones on the market, and you won't be disappointed in either. The Nexus 4 is better in almost all aspects, excepting storage and 4G connectivity. It is also much the cheaper phone to buy outright. But the Galaxy SIII remains a classic.

Galaxy SIII vs Nexus 4: Dimensions

The Nexus 4 is slightly smaller 69 by 134 milimetres while the S3 is 71 by 137 milimetres. However, the Galaxy S3 is thinner at 8.6 milimetres against 9.1 milimetres.

The Galaxy S3 is also a lighter device at 133 grammes. Only a few grammes heavier, the Nexus 4 weighs 139 grammes.

Galaxy SIII vs Nexus 4: Screen

These two phones have almost the same screen size. The Nexus 4 has a large 4.7in display while the Galaxy S3 has a slightly larger 4.8in screen.

The Nexus 4 has a higher resolution - 768 by 1280 giving a pixel density of 320 pixels per inch. Samsung uses a resolution of 720 by 1280 which over a slightly larger screen means the pixel density is lower at 306 pixels per inch.

Galaxy SIII vs Nexus 4: Processor and memory

Key internal components are also close in their specifications. The Nexus 4 has an impressive Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro 1.5GHz quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM. Samsung's Galaxy S3 uses its own Exynos 4 Quad 1.4GHz quad-core chip with 1GB of RAM.

In our GeekBench 2 tests it was the Nexus 4 which came out on top. It scored 2009 which is the highest we've seen from a smartphone to date. The Galaxy S3 managed a score of 1659.

Galaxy SIII vs Nexus 4: Storage

It is the Galaxy S3 which offers better storage options with 16GB, 32GB or 64GB models. The Nexus 4 only comes in 8GB or 16GB models. Furthermore, the Galaxy S3 has a microSD card slot for up to an extra 64GB of storage.

Galaxy SIII vs Nexus 4: Cameras

Both the Nexus 4 and Galaxy S3 have 8Mp rear facing cameras with the ability to record video in full HD 1080p. The Galaxy S3 does have a slightly better front facing camera though; it has a 1.9Mp lens while the Nexus 4's is 1.3Mp. Both shoot video at 720p.

Galaxy SIII vs Nexus 4: Connectivity

The pair is close on connectivity with each offering Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, near-field communications (NFC), and wireless charging. The Nexus 4 doesn't come with 4G connectivity but Samsung has made a 4G LTE version of the Galaxy S3.

Galaxy SIII vs Nexus 4: Software

Although both these smartphones run Google's Android operating system, the Nexus 4 is more up to date with Android, 4.2 Jelly Bean. The Galaxy S3 has been updated to 4.1 Jelly Bean. Until Samsung updates its handset again, the Nexus 4 will have some additional core features such as lock screen widgets, gesture typing and Photo Sphere.

However, Samsung provides some of its own features to Android which the Nexus 4 doesn't have via its TouchWiz overlay such as Direct Call, S Voice, Pop up play and Smart Alert. Google's phone uses the standard Android interface.

Galaxy SIII vs Nexus 4: Battery

Samsung and Google have fitted their smartphones with a 7.8Wh (2100mAh) battery. The difference is that the battery inside Galaxy S3 is removable but the Nexus 4's isn't accessible.